US President Donald Trump has claimed that Canada is making serious efforts to reach a new trade agreement with Washington amid an ongoing trade dispute between the two longtime allies.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said Canada was eager to secure a deal but insisted that the United States held the stronger negotiating position.
“Canada is working very hard to make a deal with us, and I hate to say this, but we have all the cards,” Trump said.
However, a spokesperson for Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister responsible for trade relations with the United States, declined to comment on the president’s remarks.
The two countries have been locked in a trade standoff since negotiations collapsed in August, triggering new tariffs and retaliatory measures on both sides of the border.
The dispute has strained relations between the neighbouring countries, which have long maintained close economic and political ties.
Both Washington and Ottawa have blamed each other for the breakdown in negotiations, with the disagreement raising concerns about the future of their trade relationship.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for his country to reduce its economic dependence on the United States, which remains Canada’s largest trading partner.
The growing tensions have also raised questions about the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade pact that governs economic relations among the three North American countries.
Trump’s latest comments suggest that Washington and Ottawa may still be seeking a way to resolve the dispute, although neither side has announced a new agreement.
